Diablo 3's Mini-Expansion Patch 2.4 Hits Next Week

After a few months steeping on the PTR, it’s time for another massive Diablo III [official site] patch. Like, surprisingly massive. The type of content a different developer might package up, slap a name on, and sell for a fiver.

Want the rundown?

Joe covered some of this a few months back, but the highlight of this upcoming Patch 2.4 is an entirely new area, Gravehollow Island. As Blizzard put it:

“Miles off the coast of Westmarch lies an island that many believe to be little more than legend. Cut off from the rest of Sanctuary’s developed civilizations, Greyhollow was once the center of a grand empire. For reasons still unknown to this day, this unimaginably advanced society collapsed, leaving ruin, chaos, and a lingering curse behind.”

Spooooooky. But it’s more than just a foggy forest tileset. If after nearly four years of clicking you’ve grown tired of clicking on the same set of monsters, then good news: Gravehollow adds sixteen more to the pot. How many of them are actually new and how many are re-skins, I don’t know. At least one of them is demon Bigfoot.

And although Gravehollow doesn’t factor into the campaign, Blizzard claim there’s a story to uncover. It’s just a bit more subtle, “more driven by exploration than exposition”—which could be exactly what Diablo needs, given Blizzard’s penchant for overwrought writing.

There’s more. More! Two areas (Eternal Woods and Royal Quarters) are being tacked onto Sanctuary, and anyone wearing a full Set of related items will now gain access to a “Set Dungeon,” a unique crawl designed exclusively for whatever Set they’re wearing.

It’s an impressive amount of content for Blizzard to hide inside some unassuming patch notes.

Not that there aren’t some “Ah yes, patch notes” changes happening too. To go along with Set Dungeons, the minutiae of Sets are getting overhauled—new abilities, rebalanced stats, and the like. Rich adventurers can now burn money on enhancing Legendary Gems. And no surprise: A ton of new junk loot items.

Diablo III’s fifth season starts on January 15th, so expect Patch 2.4 to go live on or shortly before that date. Check out the full patch notes, or if you’d rather read them in-character…